The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ Gallery 72 opens “Journey & Clotilda – The Final Journey”, a collection of paintings, by artist Andre’ Henderson, spanning the past decade and including debuting new works.
November 17th, 2022, through February 17, 2023
Artist Talk December 15th, 2022, from 7pm t0 8pm
Henderson states that he is continuously being guided through the storytelling of his ancestors through the works of Journey & Clotilda – The Final Journey. “As an African American artist, I feel that it’s not only my mission but also my calling to speak the truth especially in a time where society feels that it is okay to erase history as though it never existed. To date there are many historical books that have been written about the Clotilda but I feel it necessary to honor its descendants with a collection of work, paintings that will last a life time and beyond solidifying their place in history.” said Henderson.
While both series are connected as they chronicle the history of the Atlantic Slave Trade, the Journey series was painted on canvas were as the Clotilda series is painted on wooden panels of pine. This was intentionally done to elicit reference to the wooden vessel that brought the final African captives to the United States.
“My personal goal is to share what I believe to be an intrinsic message delivered to me through the collective voices of millions of African ancestors as channeled through my art. It all originates from and exists within a place of certainty and fact. Not all the subjects I paint are meant to be beautiful. Sometimes art hurts, even to paint it. But what is certain is that they will create dialogue where perhaps there was none. My inspiration for creating the Clotilda the last slave ship series was based on seeing a documentary on the subject. As it goes with all my work, I researched further to gain more knowledge on the actual historical facts surrounding the story.”
Gallery 72 is located at 72 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.